Linkedin-in Youtube Facebook-f

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

May 10, 2024

Are Tense Relations Harming Anti-Drug Cooperation?

Tense bilateral relations between Ecuador and Mexico could have an influence on anti-drug cooperation between the two countries, experts say below. Drugs seized in Ecuador are pictured. // File Photo: Ecuadorean Government.

Q

  • In recent years, Mexico’s two largest drug trafficking organizations, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, have infiltrated local criminal gangs in Ecuador, leading to an increase in violence in recent months in the South American country. At the same time, relations between Mexico and Ecuador have become tense, in particular after Ecuador’s president authorized a raid at Mexico’s embassy in Quito to arrest former Ecuadorean Vice President Jorge Glas, which led Mexico to cut off diplomatic relations. What does the fraught relationship between the countries mean for intelligence sharing and security cooperation as they combat cartel-related violence? What effect will the chilling of relations between Mexico and Ecuador have on regional efforts to fight drug-fueled violence? What are the prospects for an improvement in relations between the two countries?

A

Amanda Mattingly, former U.S. diplomat and founder of ACM Global Intelligence: “The diplomatic rupture between Ecuador and Mexico is a serious blow to bilateral and regional counternarcotics efforts. It is no secret that the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels—as well as Colombian and Albanian cartels—have infiltrated local organized crime groups and are fighting for territory in Ecuador, resulting in a dramatic increase in Ecuador’s violent crime in recent years. In 2023, Ecuador’s homicide rate rose to 45 per 100,000 people, according to Human Rights Watch, which now ranks Ecuador among the top three most violent countries in Latin America, along with…”

Top News

Brazil Announces $9.9 Billion in Aid for Flood Victims
Brazil’s government on Thursday announced that it would provide $9.9 billion in aid to victims of the deadly flooding that has occurred over the past week in Rio Grande do Sul state.
Western Union Resumes Money Transfers to Cuba
Western Union said it had resumed remittance services to Cuba, three months after they were halted.
Colombia Minister Must Testify in Graft Case: High Court
Colombia’s supreme court on Thursday ordered Interior Minister Luis Fernando Velasco to testify in a corruption case involving the purchase of water tankers by the country’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management. // File Photo: Colombian Government.

Complete editions of the Latin America Advisor are delivered on a biweekly basis to members of the Dialogue’s Corporate Program and other subscribers. Sign up below for a free complimentary preview subscription.

Subscribe

ABOUT THE LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

The Inter-American Dialogue publishes the Latin America Advisor every business day for a distinguished membership of informed corporate leaders, scholars, and government officials invested in Latin America’s development and future. The Advisor‘s highly regarded Q&A section covers questions submitted by subscribers themselves. Commentators regularly include heads of state, business leaders, diplomats, economists, analysts, and thought leaders from around the world. Many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies subscribe to the Advisor. To subscribe, click here. For terms and conditions, click here. For more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.
Energy Advisor
Financial Services Advisor

Subscribers

the-dialogue-subscribers7
the-dialogue-subscribers6
the-dialogue-subscribers5
the-dialogue-subscribers4
the-dialogue-subscribers3
the-dialogue-subscribers2
the-dialogue-subscribers1

Staff

Gene Kuleta
Editor
P. 202.463.2920
E. gkuleta@thedialogue.org

Carl David
Goette-Luciak
Reporter

Nili Blanck
Reporter

Subscribe

board of advisors

Diego Arria
Director,
Columbus Group

Merike Blofield
Professor of Political Science,
University of Hamburg

Devry Boughner Vorwerk
CEO,
DevryBV Sustainable Strategies

Joyce Chang
Global Head of Research,
J.P. Morgan

Marlene Fernández
Corporate Vice President for Gov’t Relations,
Arcos Dorados (McDonald’s)

Peter Hakim
President Emeritus,
Inter-American Dialogue

Donna Hrinak
Director,
Adtalem Global Education

Jon E. Huenemann
Council Member,
GLG Inc.

James R. Jones
Chairman,
Monarch Global Strategies

Craig Kelly
Senior Director,
Int’l Gov’t Relations,
Exxon Mobil

Barbara Kotschwar
Professor of Political Economy,
Georgetown University

John Maisto
Director,
US Education Finance Group

Nicolas Mariscal
Chairman,
Grupo Marhnos

Thomas F. McLarty III
Chairman,
McLarty Associates

Beatrice Rangel
Director,
AMLA Consulting

Ernesto Revilla
Head of Latin American Economics, Citi

Gustavo Roosen
President,
IESA

Andrés Rozental
President, Rozental &
Asociados

Shelly Shetty
Managing Director,
Sovereigns, Fitch

The Inter-American Dialogue engages our network of global leaders to foster democratic governance, prosperity, and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Together, we work to shape policy debate, devise solutions, and enhance cooperation within the Western Hemisphere.

Quick Links

Donate

Inter-American Dialogue
1155 15th Street NW | Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
P: +1-202-822-9002
F: +1-202-822-9553

Preview Latin America Advisor
Linkedin-in Youtube Facebook-f

© 2024 Inter-American Dialogue

Subscribe To
Latin America Advisors

* indicates required field

The Inter-American Dialogue Education Program

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER / SUSCRÍBASE A NUESTRO BOLETÍN:

* indicates required

Part-Time: Reporter, Latin America Advisor